Austin DeSanto stepped into Pennsylvania wrestling history Saturday night in Hershey.
The Exeter Township senior’s 6-5 defeat of Franklin Regional’s 144-0 three-time state champion senior Spencer Lee in the 126-pound PIAA 3A championship marked the greatest upset in PIAA history.
The 53-0 DeSanto, who won the Bob Craig Outstanding Wrestler award, scored a last-second takedown, one of three third-period takedowns he scored, to secure the victory and unleash scenes of mayhem as the Giant Center went wild.
Lee, who had never trailed in a match until the final second of his career, was denied the chance to become the sixth unbeaten four-time PIAA champ and 13th overall. No three-time PIAA champ trying to be a four-time champion had ever lost in the final before.
The Lehigh Valley had a big day as well with four state champions in Nazareth’s Sammy Sasso (138) and Travis Stefanik (182); Northampton’s Julian Chlebove (120); and Bethlehem Catholic’s Mikey Labriola (170); the 3A team champion (Nazareth) and runner-up (Bethlehem Catholic), and the 3A coach of the year (Nazareth’s Dave Crowell).
It was the first year since 2005 that Nazareth crowned two state champions in one season.
Follow the links below for full coverage of the final day of PIAA 3A wrestling.
Stefanik state wrestling title storybook ending for Nazareth’s glorious season
WATCH: Nazareth’s Travis Stefanik wins state wrestling title
Becahi’s Labriola ‘a little sad’ scholastic career over after second state wrestling title
WATCH: Becahi’s Labriola repeats as state wrestling champ
Nazareth’s Sasso climbs to top of PIAA 3A medal stand
WATCH: Nazareth’s Sasso wins state wrestling gold
Northampton’s Chlebove right at home for second state wrestling title
WATCH: Northampton’s Chlebove wins 2nd state wrestling title
Becahi’s Labriola, Nazareth’s Stefanik wearing state wrestling crowns
PIAA 3A wrestling Saturday recap: Stats, medals, awards
Brad Wilson picks the PIAA 3A state wrestling finals
Six Lehigh Valley wrestlers surge into 3A state finals
LIVE: PIAA individual wrestling updates for Saturday
Follow the PIAA individual wrestling brackets
Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.
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